


The Warmth of the Sun

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beach Volleyball, Beaches, Day At The Beach, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Surfing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23347594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: Ben goes to the beach to surf, and he meets an old school friend, who introduces him to a girl who also likes to surf.  Much bonding happens.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 7
Kudos: 51





	The Warmth of the Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dawninthemtn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawninthemtn/gifts).



> This is being done for the Wholesome Reylo Content's event! Lindsay, thank you for making the beautiful moodboard! I hope you enjoy this story.

Dappled sunlight covered the mountainous, curvy roads, blanketing Ben's windshield with low, golden light. Ocean spray and the breeze that carried it whipped through Ben's longer hair as it beckoned and called him home. 

California was perfect in the summer, the air not too hot or too cold - and not too humid - and the warmth of the sun welcomed him back. The weather remained frozen in time, captured in that blissful atmosphere that the Beach Boys immortalized. 

For Ben in his place in life, it truly felt like an endless summer. Gone was the grueling, lifeless businessman's life under Snoke, the firm disbanded after Snoke was arrested for insider trading. Instead, he would use his attention to detail to prepare taxes. 

His mother was proud that he was finally leaving the city and coming home. She had already retired with Han to the old cottage her mother owned, and it had a spectacular view of the ocean. Ben had used to visit the bungalow before it was modernized, and now he had a small, comfortable home near them but closer to the waves. 

His true home.

His uncle had been a hippie and loved to commune with nature on the beach. When Ben was sent to live with him, Ben spent every free moment swimming and surfing. The water was the one place that understood him best, whether in calm, peaceful moments or during the storms in his life, and now he could spend every waking hour there when he wasn't at work. 

He could  _ finally  _ have a life. 

He didn't know what that looked like, having a life, but he wanted it. It had to be better than the suffocating prison that Snoke had kept him caged up in. 

As his Mustang convertible parked at the public beach, he breathed in the salty air, committing it to memory. 

This was his new life. Too long he had done what others expected; now he was living his own life. 

Making his own choices. His own mistakes. He wasn't going to try to control every second of it for once. 

It scared the ever-loving daylights out of him. 

He left on his outer layer of clothing for the time being, afraid of the sun turning him into a lobster. As it was, his white, hairless arms and legs glowed in the sunlight. They were toned and muscled from countless hours in the gym, but he knew how he would appear at the small, tucked-away beach he used to frequent.

There were only five people there, all gesticulating and rambunctious as some kicked sand while others stood at the edge of the waves with their boards, eager to get in. He only recognized one, a childhood acquaintance who had continued to work with his mother, so he wasn't surprised to see Poe there. 

What he dreaded was the commentary. 

The white caps were calling, and he was determined to enjoy them without interacting with the others. However, one of the women, a thin, leggy one with freckles and perfectly tanned skin, noticed him. 

She was  _ breathtaking. _

The slight pout of her lips as she stared at him, wondering where he had come from, was adorable. 

Sadly, Poe observed her distraction before his eyes lit up.

"Hey, look, one of the suits got lost!"

Ben glared at him and saluted him before taking several more steps toward the water, determined  _ not  _ to feed the troll or engage with them.

"Maybe the poor guy needs a break. Leave him alone, Poe," said the pretty girl with a surprise British accent. 

"Of course he does. He should join us. Hey, pale one, join our group!"

Ben sighed and pinched his nose before facing Poe. "No, thank you. I'm perfectly capable of swimming and surfing on my own."

"But there's safety in numbers! Won't you consider joining us?" asked the cute British girl, stepping closer.

Ben froze, not used to beautiful women speaking to him or acknowledging his presence. He was silent and socially awkward. It usually made all women misunderstand him and stay away from him.

At his old job, he just appeared angry all the time. He was trying to fix that, and Poe was  _ not _ helping.

His eyes met hers for the briefest moment. Then, words flew out without thinking, his need to respond to her overwhelming. "If I wanted to be called names by Dameron, I would've stayed in middle school. Excuse me."

"Wait, we know each other? How-oh. Oh! Solo!"

Poe's face went from confused to troubled until his eyes sparkled with old memories. Ben regretted that beautiful women could make him forget his carefully laid plans so easily. 

Ben watched in slow-motion horror as Poe jogged up to him.

"Solo you grew up and filled out! Look at you! You definitely need to catch some rays now that you have that new job."

"Solo? As in related to Leia and Han?" asked the beautiful woman who was quickly catching up.

Telling himself not to panic over a girl was one thing; actually doing that was another. She was getting  _ way  _ too close for his peace of mind. 

"Yeah, this is the prodigal son who finally returned! Ben Solo, in the flesh," said Poe as everyone curiously approached Ben.

Soon, Ben gave up on enjoying the beach alone. He said he wanted to give up control...he just didn't expect it to happen so soon or quite like this. Poe introduced him to Kaydel, his girlfriend, as well as the other couple, Finn and Rose. 

"Finally, this is the newest member of our crew at work, Rey. Don't let her newbie status fool you, though; she's the best surfer in our group," said Poe proudly, clapping a hand on Rey's shoulder. 

"That's good. I need some healthy competition," said Ben, his eyes drifting to Poe before smirking. "You were never a match for me."

Poe's eyes widened, but he recovered quickly. "I didn't go to the beach every day with a hippie, either."

"True, and I still had better grades than you," said Ben, turning his focus to Rey. "How long have you been surfing?"

"It's not about the amount of time; it's the quality of practice within that time," she said, neatly avoiding the question as she blushed. “I’m here to become one with the water.”

He understood what it was like to get lost in the waves; that was a mark in her favor. "So you haven't been doing it very long. Good to know."

He turned and headed for water, done with conversation and ready to ride the waves. As some sputtered in protest, Poe calmed them down, insisting Ben had always been like this. 

As soon as he touched the water, though, all the little frustrations and grief of the past melted away. The cool, salty water refreshed his soul, cleansing him of all and leaving him at peace. 

His calming thoughts were interrupted by the splash of water beside him. Looking in the direction of the water droplets that crept up his ankles, he saw Rey, a set line to her jaw as she eyed him.

"I was being serious back there," she said, drawing closer, eyes flashing.

"I know. So was I," he replied, his eyes looking her up and down appreciatively before returning to her surprised face. "You clearly have the legs and muscles from it, and you're actually in the water."

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. 

"It'll be nice to have a partner...at least until you wipe out first," he said, smirking and walking in.

She watched him walk ahead before she seemed to wake up. "I'll have you know that  _ you  _ will be wiping out first, not me."

"We'll see."

The first wave started out as every other did, an adrenaline rush unlike anything he had ever felt before. His body remembered everything well, at least until he saw Rey beside him, smiling. 

At that, his brain shut down, amazed that a girl was smiling at him...and he promptly wiped out. 

Rey was beside him in a moment, helping him up with a note of concern in her voice. "Ben, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I don't need your help." He got up, trying to brush her off. "Just getting used to this again," he muttered, not wanting to admit the truth.

Rey looked dissatisfied with his answer but got up and took her board deeper. "Sure, whatever. I was only trying to help."

He cursed and hazarded a glance at Poe, only to see him wink and hold up a thumbs up encouragingly. No, it was better  _ not  _ to analyze that too closely. 

He got back on his board, determined to block Rey from his mind and eyes. The blue bikini and cute bun she wore were not the distractions he needed. 

Another wave crashed, and he got into the groove. Rey was at his periphery, still there and watching worriedly. In time, she'd realize that he would get by on his own, as he always had. He barely noticed the others get in and stay in the shallower end, while he and Rey sought more. He got lost in the rhythm and crash of the waves, the salt in his mouth, and the sunshine that made everything better and possible.

After an hour, he finally left his happy place to take in everything around him. Rey was still close by, lost in her own little world as well, and the others were still surfing. Granted, Finn looked like he wanted to lay on a towel or play beach volleyball, but the others hadn't been convinced yet.

"If you keep that up, you'll fall off again. I still haven't fallen off, so I'm beating you," said Rey with a playful look, moving his attention away from the beach. 

She was much closer than he had expected. The white shirt he had worn was clinging wetly to his chest, and Rey's eyes slowly trailed up from there, her mouth slightly open. 

He couldn't be so fortunate as to have found a girl who liked surfing, was good at it, and was single, could he?

He decided to ruin his chances. "Not for long," he replied, splashing water at her after they got off their boards and walked side-by-side. 

She grinned and laughed, splashing him in turn. For a short time, the waves were forgotten, all-out war erupting between them he made waves of his own with his arm while she used her board as protection before trying to use it to splash him. 

"Truce," she called out finally, both breathless. "I think we're both too competitive for this."

He eyes her carefully. "Perhaps."

Taking that as his agreement, she took a breather and then went deeper. He followed, watching her good form and admiring the figure she cut. She positioned herself on her board, forgetting about Ben until it was too late. 

Ben wished he had the  _ Jaws _ music playing in the background, as sneaky as he felt, swimming quietly until he was beside her. 

She had asked for the truce; he had  _ not  _ agreed to it. 

All it took was a light caress along her heel. In one moment, he felt a spark between them as her sand-kissed, smooth skin glided under his fingers, making him yearn to touch more of her. At the same time, Rey yelped and lifted her foot up, accidentally kicking his cheek and falling off her board. 

Panic filled Ben as she fell with a loud splash; he dove in after her. 

As soon as her face was above the water, he cradled her in his arms, rubbing her arms and legs in an effort to revive her.

"Rey, stay with me. Rey? Are you alright?"

She wasn't moving. Safety training kicked in, and he removed both of their cords attaching them to their boards before he lifted her out of the water and bridal-carried her to the shore, everyone gathering around them. 

"Stand back! Give her some air," said Ben, his eyes locked on Rey's seemingly lifeless form as he knelt beside her.

"Maybe you should give her CPR," said Poe helpfully. "A little mouth-to-mouth goes a long way."

Ben glanced up briefly. "That's actually helpful."

"I do try-"

Poe's words were cut off as everyone watched Ben apply his fingers to her nose as prescribed and press his lips to hers. His lips barely touched hers, but they were soft and warm, tasting of salt. 

He started to direct his wayward thoughts elsewhere, only for Rey's hands to grip his face and pull him in for a proper kiss, her lips hungrily seeking his. 

For a moment, he was too shocked to move or kiss. Then, his brain caught up, and he kissed her back. When their lips parted, both were breathing heavily, eyes locked on each other. 

"If you're going to horse around, I'll play right with you." Her hands brushed his cheek, which was painted red from her foot. "Sorry about that."

"You didn't mean to kick me, but you meant to scare me and kiss me?" he asked, voice rising in befuddlement.

"Scare you? Yes. Kiss you? No. The kiss was a bonus," she said, smirking. 

Ben didn't know how to respond to that  _ at all. _

Everyone else was chuckling.

"Right, let's do more surfing, Ben. We've barely begun," she said, taking his hand and dragging him back into the water. 

He followed humbly until she stopped. "Where's our boards?"

He cursed and turned to her. "Do you trust me?"

She tilted her head. "Yes?"

He picked her up wordlessly and placed her on his shoulders. "Do you see them?"

Peering out with a hand to block the rays, she scanned the horizon until she found what they needed, pointing toward it. "Yes! Over there!"

"I'll be right back," he said, dropping her like a sack of potatoes as he took off.

"Oof. Hey! I can help-oh never mind." She watched him speed off, water cascading off his shoulders and arms as though he were secretly an Olympic swimmer. "I guess you don't need me."

In no time, he grabbed both and towed them back. "Sorry again about that," he said, blushing as he handed hers back. "Truce?"

She kissed his cheek before blushing. "Now it's a truce. Let's go."

For the next hour, Ben and Rey lost themselves in the pleasantly cool ocean. Both were begrudgingly impressed by the other, and Rey was the most positive, supportive person Ben had ever met, always telling him how well he did or looked.

How she was still single was beyond him. 

When they finally came back to the beach for a rest, the other four gave them all of five minutes before Poe suggested doubles beach volleyball.

"Since we've been laying around on these towels for so long, how about some volleyball to get the blood pumping? Kaydel and I can play Rose and Finn while the other two rest. Then, you two can play the winner."

Ben was less than enthusiastic about volleyball because he sucked at it, but seeing Rey's excitement made him forget all his doubts. This was the time to have new experiences; he might even learn to like it after this. There was no better way to live life than by putting his life in the hands of a bunch of people he barely knew. Spending more time with Rey was the best reward he could have for suffering through volleyball. 

Rey found some munchies while the other four grabbed a ball and went to the nearby net.

"Are you going to remove that shirt?" Rey asked, tearing open a bag of chips and nodding at his chest.

"No. I burn easily," he replied, reaching for food. 

"You should let it dry," she said, taking his hand. "What if I apply a ton of sunscreen to you every hour instead?"

He wanted to say no, but her pleading eyes made him change his mind quickly. "Will you remember?" he asked weakly.

She nodded eagerly. "Of course! Let me finish snacking, and I'll take good care of you."

The thought of her hands touching him everywhere was too much to resist. "Alright."

He stood up and stripped off his shirt, shaking it out before laying it on his towel to dry in the sun. He never saw the way Rey's jaw dropped, but he did see her hungry gaze when he finally turned around. 

"Rey?"

"Sorry," she said, blushing and pushing a handful of chips into her mouth. "Take this away from me before I eat the whole thing."

"I could feed some to you, if you'd like," he offered. "I could also add more sunblock to you-"

"Yes and yes," she interrupted, moving behind him. "Thank you."

Was she interested? In him? It seemed crazy, but her actions and lingering looks suggested it. He  _ wanted  _ it to be true. As her hands made themselves familiar with every muscle on his back, arms, and shoulders, he grew progressively more comfortable and sluggish, lost in her warm touch. 

Everything about her was warm. Her eyes, her voice, her hands, all designed to ensnare him in a way he hadn't thought possible before. She could give the sun a run for its money because of her light and warmth. 

Every once in a while, he would remember to give her a chip or two, and she always bit into them like they were her last meal. It wasn't until the game was nearing its end that he realized she still hadn't finished - despite at least a half hour or more likely longer passing. He fed her another chip, only for her lips to close around his thumb and forefinger, sucking lightly. He turned slightly to face her, and he was captivated by her dark eyes, how her face leaned in just so.

Suddenly, he couldn't have cared if the apocalypse happened; he never wanted her to stop. Normally, he hated being touched, but there was something different about Rey... he felt as though he understood her, and she him. 

That he was more attracted to her than he had been to another woman before also helped.

“Hey, lovebirds, stop flirting with one another and come play us in volleyball! You can kiss and make out after you lose,” called Poe jauntily, throwing a volleyball at them.

Ben and Rey were awoken from their haze by a volleyball bouncing and splashing sand onto their laps. Rey glared at Poe, and Ben bit back a retort about how sand was rough and coarse and  _ not  _ to encourage it to go anywhere more than it already was. 

Instead, he yelled, “Mind your own business, Dameron.”

“You don’t scare me, Solo! Get over here. I promise I won’t go easy on you,” said Poe, turning to talk to his girlfriend.

Ben turned to face Rey, who had reluctantly stopped touching him. She looked quite put out, and he was a little pleased about it.

“You sure you don’t want to ditch them?” he asked, jerking a finger toward them. “You could join me, and we could ride the waves… or take my Mustang for a drive.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Later, yes. First, I want to beat the pants off of all of them.”

“I’m not sure if that’s possible,” he said with uncertainty as they stood up and dusted the sand off.

“Why? It’s volleyball,” she said, picking up the ball.

“Because I’m inept with a volleyball,” he admitted quietly.

“What? You?” she cried in disbelief. Shaking her head, she added, “You’re too tall to be bad at it. Just stand in front of the net and don’t let any balls go onto our side. Kill the ball; spike it at Poe’s face if you have to,” she coached, weaving her arm into his to prevent him from running away.

His desire to have control of the situation had never been stronger with the game finally looming ahead. He needed to make a  _ good  _ impression on her, and volleyball was not the way to do it. He followed reluctantly, still looking for a way out until they were in the court, a rope determining what was in and out. 

When Rey saw his continued hesitation, she dropped the ball and held out her hand to him. “Ben, I want you to join me. Together, we can bring a new winner to the game of beach volleyball. Please.”

How could he say no to that?

He nodded and took her hand, squeezing it before taking up his place in front of the net. “I’ve only played twice in my life. All I’m good for is being a wall,” he commented.

“That’s all I need, as I’ll move more than enough for the both of us,” she replied, smiling at him. “If I tell you to do something, do it. Just send it over the net or to me.”

“Got it.”

Kaydel served first, and she managed to gain three points off of them to start. First, Ben had totally missed the ball. Then, he thought the ball was out of bounds, but it wasn’t. Finally, he tried to hit it to Rey, but it flew over her head instead. Nevertheless, he persisted. Rey was all that he needed to keep trying. 

Finally, he managed to slam it in Poe’s face.

“That was awesome, Ben! Do it again! And if you know you have to send it to me, just hit it a little softer. I see those canons for arms you have,” she teased before letting him serve.

It turned out he was a good server and even better spiker. Kaydel was afraid to be at the net with him because of how hard he spiked the ball, and Poe received five more hits to the head or face by the end of the game. With each new serve, Ben grew more confident under Rey’s warm praise and smiles. She was addictive; all he wanted was to make her smile. Somehow he got better at playing with so much encouragement from her, and she managed to hit anything close to her with ease.

As the game wore on, they began to have more volleys between teammates and opposite sides. Finn cheered Poe on while Rose continued to shout for both sides since she was the referee. Kaydel served, and Ben hit it to Rey, who bumped it over the net with ease. Poe set it back to Kaydel, who sent it flying over the net to Ben, who was slowly learning to set the ball. Rey bumped it back to him, shouting, “Spike it!”

Ben got into position, jumped, and spiked it into the ground beside Poe, who managed to fall flat on his face in the process.

“We did it! We won! You did it, Ben; we won!”

Ben didn’t know what to do with himself, but Rey was quick to run to him, circling his neck with her arms. She was jumping up and down, screaming with joy, and Ben was caught up in the moment. Without thinking, he cradled her face and kissed her. Rey was quick to respond, and everyone watching gave them a moment to enjoy their victory as lips smashed and hungrily tasted the other before coming up for air, breathless.

At the end, Ben and Rey won by a margin of seven. For a non-rally scoring game, Ben was impressed. Poe wanted a rematch, but Finn insisted on his chance to play the winners, only for him and Rose to lose as well. Lunch was snuck in at that point, and then they played three-on-three after, Ben and Rey choosing Rose for their third. They won handily. 

“That’s enough for me,” said Ben after the third game before glancing at Rey. “Want to go for a swim?”

“I’d love to,” she said, following him in as everyone else played another game. 

Once they were in the water, they grew silent. Ben went back and forth about what to ask her, wanting to know  _ everything  _ about her now, but not knowing how or what to ask.

So he blurted out, “How did you get into surfing? Did your family do it as well?”

Her face fell for a moment, and he thought he had made a mistake. However, it turned into a happy accident, as it allowed her to tell about her awesome foster mother, Maz, who showed her when she came to the states. It gave Ben a chance to bond with her over absent parents, as well as explain why he had stayed away for so long, and the two remained in the water for several hours more, lost to the rest of the world and her friends.

It was only when Ben happened to look up that he noticed that the sun was starting to set.

“Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Rey, stepping in front of him nervously.

“It’s almost sunset.”

She paused, trying to understand the significance. “So? Haven’t you been enjoying yourself?”

“Yes. Too much,” he said, drawing closer to her, until there was barely any space between them.

“Then what’s the problem?” she asked, a little breathless.

“I’m going to look redder than a tomato tomorrow,” he replied, his facial expression suggesting how much of a travesty that was.

Rey laughed, and he was  _ not  _ amused. “Rey, this is serious. I’ll look worse than my ginger friend Hux after being outside for longer than an hour.”

She grinned, moving wet hair out of his face before touching his chest. “I’m sure it’s not that bad-”

“Ow!”

She cringed as she watched the skin turn white momentarily where she had just pressed on him. “Well, maybe your skin is a little pink-”

“A little? Rose’s hot pink swimsuit is a little pink. This is-”

He gestured wildly, and she smiled, cupping his face and bringing it close to hers. “Good. I’ve got some aloe vera at home I could put on you.”

And he shut his mouth, new, tempting possibilities presenting themselves. “Oh?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling wickedly as she filled his space. “I can order us some pizza, help you out of all those clothes, and put aloe vera wherever you like. It’s the least I can do after failing to keep my promise. I’m not far from here; you could stay the night if you’d like.”

His brain short-circuited at what she suggested, so he nodded, leaning in closer. “I’d like that.”

“Me too.” 

Her hands ran everywhere, along his shoulders, up his neck, and into his hair. He didn’t care; he didn’t want her to stop touching him. Leaning in, his right arm wrapped around. One hand snaked to her shoulders, going for her neck, but then it was her turn to cringe.

“I guess I need some aloe, too. Can you help with that?” she asked, hands resting on his chest.

Her voice sounded confident, but her eyes still registered fear. He reassured her at once, grinning.

“I’d love to.”

Her answering smile put the warmth of the sun to shame, and as Ben watched Rey throw her hands into the air and shout joyously into the sunset and ocean breeze, he decided that perhaps there was some merit to letting go. 

It was all worth it to meet and be with Rey.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
